Potato Review

58 POTATO REVIEW MAY/JUNE 2023 MACHINERY European dealership appointment UK leading vegetable handling equipment manufacturer, Haith Group has appointed Remach BV to represent it in Holland and Belgium. Established in 2019, Remach specialises in supplying sorting, washing and packing machinery to arable farmers, agricultural companies and processors and will o er the full range of Haith equipment and undertake servicing and maintenance. Haith’s Managing Director, Duane Hill, says the two companies have a great deal in common. “Remach is an expert in its eld and, like us, looks to establish long- term relationships with its customers. Customer satisfaction is a priority for both of us. By working with Remach, we have gained a knowledgeable and well-respected team who will help us continue to grow our business in Holland and Belgium.” Remach’s owner, Krijn van Groningen, added: “ is agreement will allow us to serve the larger companies and industrial customers well in terms of processing solutions for various products such as potatoes, onions and carrots as well as serving the needs of smaller farmers and agricultural companies.” As part of Remach’s recent open day, Richard Haith showcased the latest version of the company’s Root-Veg Polisher at the event – a stainless steel three-metre by 14 roller model with carrot speci cation brushes, direct drive and a semi-automatic sample washer. New introductions for 2023 Puma SEVERAL updates have been introduced to AVR’s range of Puma four-row self- propelled harvesters for 2023. New introductions to the Puma 4.0 include Comfort Drive, reversible digging web, scraper on roller pintle belt, Autosteer and an active narrowing digging web to sieving web. At the end of last year, the company launched a major software upgrade of the ACC digging unit’s depth control mechanism which it claims performs very well under all circumstances, meaning manual intervention is no longer necessary. A more precise control also improves the harvesting quality. With less soil entering the harvester, less processing is required, meaning a lower load on the machine, resulting in a higher harvesting speed, less wear and a lower fuel consumption per hectare. e control, and entire harvester remain remarkably stable at higher speeds. It is now also possible to reverse the direction of the digging web. is allows any blockages in the digging unit to be quickly resolved or any loss of potatoes to be avoided between the sieving and digging web when reversing the rotation direction of the sieving web circuit. To avoid soil sticking to the roller above the pintle belt in heavier harvesting conditions, a PUR scraper is now available that keeps the roller clean. is prevents the loss of potatoes and general wear on the pintle belt. e Puma’s fuel consumption is very low thanks to an e cient Volvo engine, a well-thought-out hydraulic system, a lightweight construction and large tyre sizes, the manuafacturer is keen to point out. “ is is especially the case when it is possible to harvest at slower speeds (1,250 rpm). For example, looking at the average consumption per engine hour (i.e. these are not just harvesting hours) of all connected Puma 4.0s, 27.6 l/h is the average for the 2022 harvesting season.” Autosteer o ers more comfort for the driver. A sensor unit mounted on the haulm topper between the rst and second rows steers the front wheels, allowing the machine to automatically follow the rows. is allows you to con dently reach the end of the right row even in very dusty conditions. To ensure a smooth transition from the digging webs to the sieving webs on 4*90-Pumas with ACC digging units, an active narrowing system was developed. Two driven rollers on the side of the channel smoothly guide the entire product ow to the sieving webs. As a result, the machine runs more lightly, pressures remain lower, there is less chance of soil sticking under and/or to the narrowing plates, and consequently less wear and tear. One-to-one planter demonstrations on farms GRIMME is o ering growers an opportunity to see a planter put through its paces on a one-to-one basis at their farm. Last year, it launched a similar demonstration programme and, because of the positive response this received, it is now giving people a chance to see the GL 420 Exacta potato planter in operation. e GL 420 Exacta planter is a four-row machine o ering one-pass soil cultivation and planting. e small distance between tuber discharge and the following ridge form plates ensures tubers always lie in the middle of the ridge, even on very steep sloping ground. e mechanical coupling between the furrow opener and ridge-forming plate creates an exact planting depth. e Exacta has been designed for elds of all sizes, with a compact design. Without running wheels, it avoids soil compaction behind the cultivator which the manufacturer states makes it easy to use in small or irregularly-shaped elds. Managing Director Patrick Graf Grote said: “Last year’s product demonstrations were really well received. By taking our machines to the grower, they could see them running in real conditions alongside their current machinery. ey had the opportunity to see howwell the machines coped with their particular soil, elds and conditions, and they had time to talk to our product specialists at length. I think 2023’s demonstration programme will be just as popular, if not more so, than last year.” Growers interested in seeing the GL 420 Exacta planter in operation at their farm, alongside their existing machinery, can request a demonstration by calling 01205 822300 or emailing sales@grimme.co.uk